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circa 1300 AD |
The start of
the continuous Polynesian settlement. These people, and subsequent
arrivals, were the ancestors of present-day Māori. |
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| 1642 |
Abel
Janszoon Tasman, Dutch explorer, discovers part of the
western littoral of New Zealand and names his discovery "Staten
Landt". |
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|
1644 - 1647 |
Part of New
Zealand's coastline appears beside the name "Zeelandia
Nova" on printed world and Pacific charts and globes. |
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| 1769 |
James
Cook, British explorer, makes his first visit to New Zealand.
He claims parts of the country in the name of King George
III. |
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| 1769 |
French explorer,
Jean-François-Marie
de Surville casts anchor at Spirit's Bay, on 17th December. |
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| 1772 |
French explorer
Marc-Joseph-Marion
du Fresne casts anchor at Spirit's Bay. |
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| 1790 |
Deep sea
whaling, sealing, flax and timber trades commence.
The Māori suffer the first serious introduced epidemic. |
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| 1791 |
First known
visit of a whaling ship to Doubtless Bay : the "William and
Ann". |
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| 1806 |
First European
women arrive in New Zealand. |
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| 1814 |
Samuel Marsden,
British Missionary, makes his first visit to New Zealand.
The Anglican mission is established at the Bay of Islands. |
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| 1815 |
Thomas Holloway
King becomes the first pakeha (European) child born in New
Zealand. |
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| 1819 |
Chiefs Te
Rauparaha, Patuone, Nene, Moetara and Tuwhare lead raids
on the Taranaki and Te Whanganui-a-tara (Port Nicholson) regions.
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| 1820 |
Ngapuhi chief
Hongi
Hika visits England, meets with King George IV, and is
able to obtain muskets on the return trip. |
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| 1821 |
Hongi Hika and
Te Morenga commence Musket Wars against southern tribes. |
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| 1822 |
Te Rauparaha
leads the migration of the Ngati Toa south, to the Cook Strait
region. |
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| 1823 |
Wesleyan Missionary
Society established. |
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| 1824 |
French explorer
Isidore Duperrey visits the Bay of Islands. Jules Sébastien
César Dumont d'Urville is second-in-command of the
expedition. |
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| 1827 |
Dumont
d'Urville leads his own expedition and charts large
sections of New Zealand's coastline in detail for the first
time.
Te Rauparaha commences his invasion of the South Island,
from Kapiti Coast. |
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| 1831 |
Whaling stations
established at Tory Channel and Preservation Inlet. |
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| 1833 |
James
Busby arrives at the Bay of Islands, in his capacity as
Official British Resident. |
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| 1834 |
Around 25 northern
Māori chiefs adopt the United Tribes flag, on Busby's
initiative. |
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| 1835 |
Declaration
of Independence by the United Tribes of New Zealand, signed
by 34 northern Chiefs. |
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| 1837 |
The New
Zealand Association is formed in London. It becomes the
The
New Zealand Company in 1839.
Son of French escapees from the French Revolution, Baron
Charles Philippe Hippolyte de Thierry returns to New
Zealand with a group of French colonists, after having bought
land from Hokianga chiefs. |
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| 1838 |
Bishop John
Baptiste Francis Pompallier, from France, founds the first
Marist mission at Hokianga. |
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| 1839 |
William
Hobson is instructed to establish British rule in New Zealand,
which initially becomes a dependency of New South Wales.
Colonel William Wakefield arrives on board the "Tory" with
instructions from his brother Edward to buy as much land
as possible for future colonists. |
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| 1840 |
The first
New Zealand Company settlers arrive at Port Nicholson.
Dumont d'Urville visits New Zealand for the third and last
time and charts additional large sections of the coastline,
previously uncharted, in detail.
The Treaty
of Waitangi is signed at the Bay of Islands, on 6th
February. (external government link here : Treaty
of Waitangi )
French
settlers arrive at Akaroa just after the signing of
the Treaty.
William Hobson becomes the first Governor. |
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| 1841 |
European
settlers are established at New Plymouth and Wanganui.
Auckland becomes the capital from the Bay of Islands. |
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| 1842 |
Settlers arrive
at Nelson. |
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| 1843 |
The
"Wairau Affair". Violent confrontation between Europeans
and the Māori.
Robert Fitzroy becomes Governor. |
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| 1845 |
Hone Heke
and Te Kawiti commence the
northern wars.
The New Zealand Company is in financial difficulty, and
suspends its colonisation operations.
George Grey becomes Governor. |
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| 1846 |
The wars in
the north end with the taking of Ruapekapeka. |
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| 1848 |
The Scottish
Otago Association founds a settlement. |
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| 1850 |
The Canterbury
settlement is founded. |
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| 1853 |
Tamihana Te
Rauparaha and Matane Te Whiwhi propose the idea of a Māori
King. |
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| 1858 |
Te Wherwhero
installed as first Māori King, with the name of Potatau
I. |
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| 1859 |
Gold discovered
in Buller. |
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| 1860 |
War
in Taranaki, resulting from the Waitara dispute. |
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| 1861 |
Gold discovered
at Gabriel's Gully - the Otago gold rushes commence. |
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| 1862 |
First telegraph
line between Christchurch and Lyttelton opens. |
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| 1863 |
War recommences
in Taranaki.The New Zealand Settlements Act is passed to
push through land confiscation.
First steam railway in New Zealand commences. |
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| 1864 |
The Waikato
war ends. Land in Waikato, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty and Hawke's
Bay is confiscated. |
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| 1865 |
Auckland
streets lit by gas for the first time.
Māori resistance continues. |
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| 1868 |
Māori resistance
continues under the leadership of Te
Kooti Arikirangi and Titokowaru. |
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| 1870 |
The last
of the British Imperial Forces leave New Zealand.
Vogel's public works and immigration policy commences.
Over 1.000 miles of railway are constructed. |
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| 1872 |
Te Kooti
retreats into the King Country. Māori armed resistance
ceases.
Telegraph communication links Auckland, Wellington and
the southern provinces. |
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| 1881 |
Parihaka
community forcibly broken up by troops. Te Whiti, Tohu Kakahi
and their followers are arrested and imprisoned. |
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| 1883 |
Te Kooti officially
pardoned. |
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| 1884 |
King Tawhiao
visits England with a petition for the Queen, appealing to
the Treaty. He is refused access. |
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| 1886 |
The eruption
of Mount
Tarawera.
Oil discovered in Taranaki. |
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| 1887 |
Reefton
becomes the first town to have electricity. |
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| 1888 |
Birth of writer
Katherine Mansfield. |
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| 1893 |
Women granted
the right to vote. |
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| 1897 |
Apirana Ngata
and other Young Māori intellectuals form the Te Aute College
Students Association. |
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| 1898 |
Old age pensions
act. |
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Source : The New Zealand Official Year Book. |
| Grateful
thanks to researcher Brian
Hooker for checking the exactitude of the facts on this
page. |
Please be aware that this website is a